Marshall - SE100 attenuator and speaker emulator

SE = Speaker Emulator. This is a power attenuator and speaker emulator that can handle up to 100 watts. Can simulate 0, 30, and 60 degree mic placement. 6, 12, or 18 dB attenuation. You can unplug the speaker cabinet, and it switches to full soak.

This is a must for a TUBEHEAD. the rare SE100.
It is a power brake for your tube amp (-18dB attenuation)
Its a recording output for your tube amp (1/4 inch balanced, unbalanced and XLR balanced outputs)
Its a microphone output for your live gig!
It's a headphone out for your vintage tube amp.
A reactive speaker load. No speaker required.
2-space rack unit.
If you play live, send your amp right to the board and dial in a quieter stage volume at flaming power tube saturation.

Speaker emulator has choice of combo or closed back emulation.
Speaker emulator has choice of 0, 30, or 60 degree axial response.
Eddie VH and Billy Gibbons have used this or the Groove Tubes equivalent on stage for years.

Marshall paid royalties to Groove Tubes to use the patented circuit. Marshall eventually got tired of paying those royalties and discontinued it.

Excellent condition.

Add $12 for shipping to US destinations.
Just try finding another one.

Rack mounted two unit device. Purchased in 1996 . Used solidly ever since and has not killed my Valve amp (1978 Marshall head) while using it with no speakers at home which is 90% of the time. The Front panel has the following controls attenuation 6db volume brake, 12db volume brake 18db volume brake if both switches are pressed in. Green LED Signal, Red LED Peak, Cabinet type switch, closed/open, Axial response switches 0 degree, 30 degree and 60 degree, Unbalanced level control (for both Compensated and uncompensated levels) Balanced level control, Headphone level, Phones Jack (Stereo only) and On/off LED (Red). Rear Panel has the following Jacks, Loudspeaker input level, Speaker Output (Guitar speaker cabinets only) Line input (Guitar Pre amp etc) Uncompensated output (no speaker emulation) Compensated Output (Speaker emulation) Balanced Output, Earth (ground) Lift Switch and Power Supply in (15 Volt). The SE100 Speaker Emulation System is a device which will allow valve and solid state amps or pre amps to connect to a recording desk/mixing desk, effects processor (by the speaker jack of a amp)and still be able to run a guitar speaker cabinet from the SE100 and connect directly into a PA amp. It is both a studio/home recording device or a live performance device (volume brake [0db, 6db, 12db, and 18db which will reduce a 100 watt amp to a reasonable room volume] not for the faint hearted when connected to a guitar speaker cabinet). So in brief plug in your amp speaker jack into the speaker in on the SE100 and connect a guitar cab if you want from the speaker output on the SE100 or a pre amp out into the Line in on the SE100, this line will not run a speaker cab and then connect to a recording desk, PA etc. The SE100 comes complete with an external 15 Volt AC mains adaptor. The SE100 will in Speaker emulation mode recreate a guitar speaker for direct recording or inputting into a PA and with the emulation mode off run a guitar speaker, it can do this separately or both at the same time through different outputs
(compensated [speaker emulation on] or uncompensated [speaker emulation off] one volume control for both running modes. The third output is balanced for connection to balanced line equipment, a separate volume control is provided. A headphone connection is also provided with separate volume control. This unit will also simulate mike positions and speaker type (closed / open backed cabinets). The unit also has both a "Peak/Clip" LED and signal indicator LED to see if it is receiving a signal, there is also a Earth Lift switch to remove earth loop hum. The receiving signal indicator is worth its weight in gold, thinking you have had a major amp breakdown only to find it to be a dodgy lead is easy to detect with the LED giving a Signal In presence. I use a Marshall JMP MRK 2 Master Volume Head 100 Watt lead so have not needed to use it live because of the master volume on the amp, but I have tried it with no problems with both outputs at the same time straight into the PA (Compensated mode) and as a volume brake with 2, 4X12 Cabs (Uncompensated mode). The device did not effect my live sound and the PA side did sound better than the usual Miked up method. Quite frankly I hate the sound of a Marshall that is being driven by the power tubes at ten the sound is hard and all middle, so I back off the main volume to get the crisp sounds. For home recording getting the live guitar sound down on tape with this unit for me just lacks that live ambience I have found that adding a little reverb (which I do not use live)after the unit makes all the difference. The sound is not as rounded as using speakers and a mike but is very near. The plus side is that the depth of sound and definition given to the recording is not dependant on the mike quality and has certainly beefed up the sound and improved the flat response I usally got. A DI has been fitted to my amp some years back it is certainly better than that because of the speaker emulation side and does not drop the amp output volume although I have had good results with just
using effects pedals straight into the mixing desk. The Axial response switches which simulates the positions of a Mike from the centre of a cabinet are subtle 0 degrees is warm and the sound hardens through to 60 degrees and seems more remote but it is subtle and a matter of taste. The closed cabinet switch gives a real full sound with plenty of bottom end while the open cabinet gives less bottom end and a flatter response making it sound a little thinner. Have not been able to try it in a real studio but if the chance came up I would take it and hear if there is any difference at that time, the sound engineer should be able to comment on the SE100's performance. I have played both heavy rock/metal and some country with the unit and it has preformed each equally as well. It was a luxury when I bought it and I can get by without it even though my neighbours would properly not, now having had peace and quiet for over a year. I have not been able to try it out against other units like the Marshall DI Box (DRP- 1)which retails at a far lower price but reports to do very much the same without the live volume db brake (PB-1) which Marshall also supplies as a sperate unit, also any other manufacturers equipment. If you can justify the use of it then buy it, it is a top quality piece of equipment and I would now have to replace it if stolen because of the usefulness of the thing. It does give me another method of recording guitars where I can use a Valve head without having to use a trany amp. It has certainly improved the quality of my recorded guitar sound but has I said before, I would like it to sound a little less hard and more rounded but this could be due to many other things like the amp, guitar, recording desk, etc and with a touch of reverb it can be overcome. Very much worth a try out if you struggle to get that live guitar sound also try a SM-57 mike if you get the chance. The manual is just a two sided pamphlet which describes the various features one side and a diagram of the usage on the back, also printe
d on the device itself is the schematic of the functions and routings. The Manual must be read to know what impedance to set the amp at 8 Ohms, although it does not say what impedance if using a speaker cabinet as well.